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Posts Tagged ‘core training’

Dead Bug Variation to Regulate the Core

Wednesday, June 8th, 2022

The following is a Level B in the Pain-Free Movement Specialist Levels of Designation

The Dead Bug is a popular and effective core stabilization exercise. And although it is done supine on the floor, it has a level of difficulty that may be underestimated.

When working with chronic pain clients, particularly those with lower back related issues, the many common versions of the Dead Bug may actually be too challenging. With the version we share below, the degree of difficulty can be self regulated. This means the individual has a degree of control over the intensity of the exercise by way of the force that they apply with the upper body.

With this control, the client/patient has the ability to choose a level of difficulty within their capacity and reduce the sense of threat of further hurting themselves. They will also be able to better assess their success or lack their off with fewer moving parts to the exercise.

Tags:back pain, chronic pain, core training, lower back pain, pain-free movement specialist
Posted in Health and fitness professionals | No Comments »

Corrective Exercise Kneeling Aztec

Thursday, May 28th, 2020

Any exercise that requires you to match a force with a counter force to maintain stability, will be self regulating. In other words, you can only push or pull to a level that can be stabilized by your own internal force generation.

The opposite of this would be ground reaction forces (GRF). The limitations on force production would be strength issue because you can push through the ground. This is the case with most exercises when the force is moved vertically against gravity. But when the force applied is horizontally or perpendicular to the field of gravity, we don’t get the same benefits from the GRF that we get with a vertical load.

Instead, we must turn to our own internal stability from which to create an anchor point for force generation.

As such, this corrective exercise is an excellent core exercise predominantly for the sagittal plane that does just that. It’s also happens to have some great foot benefits too.

Leave your questions and comments below.

Tags:core training, corrective exercise, lower back pain, PFMS
Posted in Health and fitness professionals | 8 Comments »

Corrective Exercise A-P Cat and Dog Rewind

Friday, October 4th, 2019

In one of our past newsletters where we talked about myofascial mobility with rhythm, timing and amplitude, we revisited the Anterior Posterior Cat and Dog as one of the examples of applying those principles.

In this exercise, we take the A-P Cat and Dog and progress it into a surprisingly challenging core exercise. We call it the A-P Cat and Dog Rewind.

You’ll see as the clients center of mass moves forward with the change and limits of base of support, the core has to switch on in a very novel way.

The beauty of this is that the response is reflexive with no feedforward response necessary by the client or patient.

This helps us move beyond the bracing and “keep your core tight” cues that are not part of our long term goals and authentic movement.

Try it, feel it and let us know what you think.